Bob Marshall Insists 'Sodomy Is Not A Civil Right' In Explaining Vote Against Gay Judge

By
On Top Magazine Staff
Published:
May 18, 2012

Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall has
insisted that “sodomy is not a civil right” in the course of
explaining his opposition to a gay judicial nominee.

Marshall led the effort to block Tracy
Thorne-Begland from serving as a general district court judge in
Richmond. The Republican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates this
week voted down Thorne-Begland's nomination with a 31-33 vote.

Appearing Thursday on cabler CNN's
Starting Point, Marshall expanded on his objections, arguing
that Thorne-Begland's past advocating against “Don't Ask, Don't
Tell” would interfere with his objectivity as a judge.

“He can be a prosecutor if he wants
to, but we don't want advocates as judges,” Marshall said.

Thorne-Begland came out publicly as a
gay Naval officer 20 years ago and was discharged under the
military's now-defunct policy barring open gay service, the Richmond
Times-Dispatch reported.

Marshall, an ardent opponent of gay
rights, was challenged on the show when he said: “Dr. Martin Luther
King and Rosa Parks never took an oath of office that they broke.
Sodomy is not a civil right. It's not the same as the Civil Rights
movement.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.
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